Movie Reviews

"This is a wonderful, not well known (at least to me) flick with a great plot and a lot of humor thrown in."

Better than I thought it would be!

Bookworm | EL Paso | 01/20/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I didn't expect much of this little movie. I just wanted to see it because it was one of the last films Jonathan Brandis would ever make. For such a small part, he is remarkable and regrettably there's not enough of him here. It's a surprisingly good film. Scott Glenn and Harvey Keitel are great as they always are. Craig Wasson was nice to see since I hadn't seen anything since his over the top performance in Body Double. The film is well written and well acted. Though it did have some shocking moments. Scott Glenn at his age is well preserved and I nearly fell onto the floor during the scene where he's wearing a string bikini. It was nice to see Jonathan Brandis as a wet behind the ears CIA hitman-in-training and a future replacement for the Scott Glenn's seemingly doomed Price. He looked very tired in this movie or was it just me? There's some shocking and notable scenes, this movie is not for the prudish at heart. Though there is a sex scene and visible nudity, the scene is tastefully done and conveys a sense of tender regard between the two characters of Luz and Price. There is notable violence and I came away from this movie with the sense that if you're ever stupid enough to go to Mexico, you should hire a bodyguard, preferrably one who can kill with his hands. All in all this was better than some of the swill that gets the studio treatment. So I highly recommend this if you're a fan of lush Mexican locales and actors who act for the pure joy of acting and not a paycheck. My summary: CIA hitman (Glenn) with emotional scars kills unintended target, gets trapped, needs help getting across the border and hires a down on his luck American writer and his beautiful but gutsy Mexican girlfriend with scars of her own. CIA handler on his trail with CIA hitman in training and heir apparent to Glenn's Price. Price, writer, girlfriend get into some nasty scrapes (terrifying scene involving local police), body count escalates, disagreements and suspicion about Price ensue, cameo by Vicki Carr, girlfriend and Price get close, (too close). CIA handler and trainee close in with one of the most tense and surprising endings I've seen in a while. Two thumbs way up."

Post-traumatic stress syndrome, in rural Mexico, by a Vietna

Pork Chop | Lisbon, Portugal | 03/15/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, is a dark, conspiracy-laden movie, tellinga story that seems somewhat over-worked (considering the author feltthe need to have one of the protagonists profession be that of afamed book writer).

It will also probably be of interest mostly to military veterans,who can relate to the post-traumatic stress syndrome thatcharacterizes literally 100's of thousands of former personnel inthe well documented conflicts of Vietnam, and some of former covertoperatives of the CIA, as played by Scott Glenn, in this picture.

Apart from the interesting filmed aspects of small-towns acrossNorthern Mexico, this picture also emphasizes its rural aspects andabandoned villages, that obviously, are worlds apart from the majorMexican cities or even, those of the USA, across the border. Themovie's action isn't entirely isolated, as the tourism hot spots arealso partly filmed, so the audience is able to see that the storytakes place in this day and age.

As said, apart from the psychological aspects that some mayappreciate, (the role being that of a burnt out, aging Vietnam vet,turned CIA operative), the film also intertwines occasionally somehuman aspects as well, such as the poverty of a segment of theMexican population, and the peasant beauty of the actress, playedintelligently, and charismatically by Giovanna Zacarias.

Surely, some may question the realism or even, the necessity of oncemore bringing in the sterotype of Mexican women as maids, who areeasy to buy favors from, and of Mexican men as police officers, lawenforcement, some of which are "clearly" corrupt.

Harvey Keitel is brought in, to add some spice from time to time, inthe movie, and rescue it from a made-for-TV only stigma, thatotherwise might discourage DVD rental customers, or buyers. Kietelonly mostestly appears in the movie, and isn't given a chance to domuch with his role, or play out anything remotely close to thepowerful impact some of his previous movies allowed him to do.

The audio, music is acceptable, if not a bit repetitive, and theclassic score too identical to what we've heard 100's of timesbefore. This is mitigated with the flamenco guitar that is alsointerspersed in the soundtrack, to emphasize the Mexican-ness ofthis movie.

Overall, not a bad experience, but not something that people willwant to see a second time."

Fun on the run thriller

Henry Erlenwein | New York | 08/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is by all means an excellent film. It grabs you, holds you, and delivers a fast paced ride into action-adventure. A fine cast headed by the never disappointing Scott Glenn, Craig Wasson, and Giovanna Zacarias. Supporting roles are provided by Harvey Keitel, Jonathan Brandis, and Miguel Sandoval. Great acting all around. Lest we not forget, there is a wonderful bit by Vikki Carr whose voice has grown moody and mellow with age. Good storyline directed by Arthur Alan Seidelman who has previously given us a string of hit TV movies. Special mention must be given to the magnificent cinematography of Chuy Chávez. Superb lighting and camera work. This film deserved more attention then it received. It's high grade cinema. Don't hesitate. You'll enjoy it."

Not Very Good

grownman | 08/03/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"If you're into made-for-tv quality movies, Puerto Vallarta Squeeze is for you. I wasn't expecting much and that's exactly what I got. I've seen a few movies with Scott Glenn where he was a supporting actor and that's where he should stay. In my opinion, he just wasn't very good as the lead and shouldn't be in the lead of an "action" film. He came across as way too old to be as lethal as he was portrayed to be that it pushed the envelop of believability. The "love story" aspect of the movie was laughable.

The premise of the movie is nothing new (which isn't a bad thing), but the production value and acting is made-for-tv quality or in this case, straight-to-video quality. Avoid this movie, not even Harvey Keitel could save it."